This invention relates to pouch forming, filling and sealing apparatus and more particularly to an improved feeder for feeding product to a pouch filler wheel.
In the past, pouching machines entrain an indeterminate length of partially formed pouches about a filler wheel for filling with product. Typically, the products handled by one machine are fed through a spout plate to a filler wheel by a feeder mounted above the filler wheel. The feeders are generally specific to the types, number and unit volumes of the products to be deposited in the pouches and since the filler wheels typically are driven and supported by spindles extending above the filler wheel assemblies (including spout plates) and are supported by bearings, hubs and frames above the wheels, the feeders and their mounting apparatus require a design to avoid interference with the frame and bearing structure supporting the extending spindle.
Thus, changeover from one type feeder to another is problematical; each feeder must be designed to a specific configuration accommodating the particular spindles supporting structure of each filler wheel. Changeover is thus problematical and expensive at best, requiring feeders and mounting structures specific to the support structure and to the feeder.
It has thus been one objective of this invention to provide an improved apparatus wherein a variety of different feeders can be easily mounted in a pouch filling apparatus.
To these ends, a preferred embodiment of the invention contemplates the use of a spindle-less filler wheel (i.e. a pouch filler wheel assembly having no spindle extending above its general plane of operation).
A module socket is mounted proximate, in this case above, the filler wheel. Such socket comprises, for example, two rails extending preferably horizontally over the filler wheel, and supported by the frame of a machine housing or cover.
A feeder module comprising a module frame, complementary rails, and a feeder is removably mounted on the socket rails, over the filler wheel for feeding product to it. When desired to change over to a different feeder for different product, or different unit volume, for example, the feeder module in place is simply removed and another desired feeder, mounted in a module frame, is operably disposed on the socket rails.
In this manner, there are no spindle hubs or support frames above the filler wheel to interfere with the positioning of the modular feeder. The socket rails are fixed, and a variety of feeder modules, such as cup feeders, belt feeders, auger feeders and the like can easily and alternatively be operably disposed over a pouch filler wheel.
Moreover, it will be appreciated that the module feeder can include a spout plate in association with the feeder module, or a spout plate can be mounted on or over the filler wheel for operation with a modular feeder mounted thereover.
These and other objectives and advantages will become readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the following description of a preferred and other embodiments of the invention and from the drawings in which: